Well, this can be for two different reasons depending on the country, and the place where this sign is. Where I come from, I see similar signs. In some places, they would normally treat the foreigners much better than than then treat the locals. In other places, it's the opposite. If that's the intention, then for sure I'm against it. But, the reason may be much simpler... like providing a guided tour for example, where the one for the locals is in Thai language, while the other is in English for example. In that case, I wouldn't mind it.

This was at the entrance to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It's a majot tourist attraction. Thai people would go there as tourists as well, but also to visit a revered religious site - Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It wasn't about the guided tours. It was a matter of admission: free vs paid.

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David

6/20/2012 09:10:22 am

Oh wow - my first thought it "that would never fly in America." There's no possible context or cultural explanation that would make it okay to have separate entrances for "Americans" "and Foreigners" - even at a national historic monument. Can you imagine?!

The farang / Thai two-tiered system is common all over Thailand -- almost always related to pricing. But they are sneaky about it -- in some national parks I've been to, or at the Lumpini Muay Thai stadium, the wrote the price in traditional Thai numbers on the Thai side, instead of using the 1, 2, 3 etc they would normally use...so that foreigners would not know of the difference and would not complain. Sneaky sneaky. lol